It is a lot different than American culture, where we are very open with our emotions and don’t mind expressing them. The French are very, very guarded, which has translated into metro etiquette. Because of this mentality, they also do not like helping people who are struggling with the inaccessibility of the metro. I have seen people speed walk past elderly folks who are carrying large suitcases up multiple flights of stairs, or crowd the stairs as someone on crutches slowly makes their way down. It is very sad, and it is not something I think is being addressed currently by the government.
